“I was first drawn to the shadow when I saw it behind the head of the dinosaur replica. I ended up taking this photo of the replica and shadow. But as I walked past the head, I saw that the entire dinosaur body threw this wonderfully detailed shadow on the wall. Every time I look at it I feel like the dinosaur is trying to sneak up on me.”

This photo was taken in our new exhibition Dinosaur Mummy CSI: Cretaceous Science Investigation, and the dinosaur laanba is referring to is Leonardo, one of the best preserved dinosaurs ever discovered. The shadow is cast by a replica of what Leonardo would have looked like, walking past you 77 million years ago – it’s a model based heavily on the fossil, which has fossilized skin and preserved internal organs. You can see both – the fossil and the very sneaky replica laanba has captured so vibrantly – through Jan. 11, 2009.

So, what’s this Photo of the Month feature all about? Our science museum is lucky enough to have talented and enthusiastic people who visit us every day – wandering our halls, grounds and satellite facilities, capturing images of the wonders on display here that rival the beauty of the subjects themselves. Thankfully, many share their photos with us and everyone else in our HMNS Flickr group – and we’re posting our favorites here, on the Museum’s blog, once a month. (You can check out all our previous picks here or here.)